In the Kitchen - S'mores on a Saturday Night

What to do on a Saturday night?  Well it is cold and snowy.. a perfect time for a fire in the fireplace and hunkering down inside with family.  Yes we have a television in the family room but we only occasionally sit down and watch tv.  What I would rather do than that is to create something in the kitchen with Journey.  It is a great mother/daughter bonding time, it teaches her things and the outcome can be SO YUMMY.

So last Saturday night as we started the fire going, Journey announced she was hungry for S'mores.  HMMM... marshmallows have not been in my cupboard for a very long time.. they are full of corn syrup and who knows what else...  commercial chocolate is just crap full of soy oil, soy lecithin and chemical preservatives... and graham crackers?  Well I did have a very old leftover box of graham crackers in the cupboard but shudder to actually eat them.  (one would advise that I should throw them away but since I very seldom throw anything away, they sit in the cupboard for "emergencies")

So it is just a good thing I have a well stocked pantry full of the raw ingredients that are most common in recipes like organic turbinado sugar, organic cane sugar, honey, sprouted wheat berries, homemade vanilla, milk, etc.  We decided to try a new experiment together and see if we could make our own Smores ingredients from scratch.  2 1/2 hours later and a decimated kitchen full of clean up work, we had our first S'more.

While it was really messy and a bit time consuming, I have to tell you I would not trade that 2 1/2 hours working with Journey in the kitchen for a fast, commercially adulterated S'more and it was TONS tastier!  This was the first time I had tried a fresh homemade marshmallow and I will never go back.  In fact, I plan to make another batch this week and surprise my sister and family with chocolate dipped fresh marshmallows at her birthday party... but that is tomorrow's project.

While I doubted if I could produce a real graham cracker myself, they were also delicious and enough like store-bought graham crackers to be great with S'mores.

The chocolate bars were probably the least like store-bought chocolate but flavorful and rich, just the same.  In fact, every day this week, Journey has taken a small piece of chocolate, a marshmallow, and a graham cracker in her lunch for a special treat.  She says the kids try to trade their food for hers and she won't let them.  But we have had the opportunity to share a bit with some non-family members and the marshmallows, especially, are getting rave reviews!

How to's and recipes will follow in subsequent blog posts today so stay tuned and bookmark the marshmallow blog for sure!  You will want to try this one yourself... and include your little ones in the making.. it was so much fun and who knew you could make them yourself?

In the Kitchen - What I learned making Waffles

Yesterday morning we were out of waffles.  That is a big deal in our house.  I try to make up a batch of waffles every so often and freeze some ahead.  Journey is the main waffle-eater at our house and while I usually have her start her day every day with an organic protein shake or bar and mineral juice, sometimes a homemade waffle just sounds wonderful so I let her indulge.

You are probably guessing that I would touch a frozen Eggo with a ten foot pole so I have to make my own.  They are very easy and freeze well so I can always have them in the freezer for a quick grab and heat treat.  My waffle recipe is buckwheat (great for lowering cholesterol and also gluten free - actually not a wheat at all) and buttermilk (can you say cultured dairy - full of good bacteria and healthy stuff) along with some eggs (farm fresh from my friend Shari's hens - she is selling them in the area if you want me to hook you up!)  and some good oil (sometimes coconut, sometimes grape oil).    There is everything right about these tasty waffles.

Here is how my kitchen looks while making a triple batch.. kind of trashed for a little while.  But you probably wanted to know what I learned, don't you?

I call this picture the "Waffle Explosion"

It is about the oil for the waffle iron.  For years I have used a non-stick cooking spray.. don't you have some of that in your cupboard?  I still do.  ugh.. read it... soybean oil, flavoring, whatever aerosol they use... just crap.  Like everything else manufactured for our convenience I guess.  But a waffle iron needs a little help or the waffles stick.  So I make sure and use my pump spray bottles.  If you are still using non-stick spray, consider getting a few of those to fill with your favorite healthy oils.

The one in the middle is the one you don't want to use.

I use the one on the right for my olive oil because it looks like an Italian style bottle (that way I remember what it is).  The one on the left is a Pampered Chef bottle that I keep grape oil in.  All you do is fill them, pump with the lid to build up a little pressure in the bottle and spray.  Cool deal!  They run between $6 and $13, depending on where you get them and can be used for years.  I found the one on the right at HyVee.

Here is another great little trick I learned making waffles yesterday.  It is one of those things that I wonder how I missed all these years so maybe you already know it...  When the waffle comes out of the waffle iron it is kind of limp and a little soggy. I just thought that was the way waffles should be and yet I have had good crisper firmer waffles when I ate out.  I always thought that had something to do with the waffle iron but NO...

Here is the trick:  When you take your waffles out of the waffle iron, lay them on the rack of a preheated oven (350) for a few minutes and they get a little crisper.  They also stay warmer that way if you are serving them for a meal and they hold the syrup well too.. absorbing it perfectly.

To freeze waffles for individual use, lay them single file on a cookie sheet and pop it in the freezer for about an hour to freeze before putting them in a freezer-safe bag or container.  You can pop them in the toaster just like an Eggo (shuddering).  I also use them to make sandwiches for Journey's lunch.  She loves a waffle/nutella or waffle/peanut butter sandwich for lunch!

Have fun making waffles!

Health - The Baby Carrot Revelation

Every time I turn around I learn something new.  It never ceases to amaze me what I DON'T know.. sometimes I think I couldn't possibly have lived almost 53 years and never have had any of this occur to me before.  Today I am referring to carrots. 

Now I kind of thought if it came from the earth and was sold at the grocery store, it was "natural".  Yes,  know that there are pesticides used in farming that stay in the food so I did a lot of research about what was important to buy organically.  I even grow lots of my own vegetables organically so I thought I was getting pretty smart and protecting my family... until I met those baby carrots.

It is hard to get vegetables in my 11 year old.  She is picky.  So for her "home lunches" I pack her a sandwich, fruit, some kind of healthy treat, and usually carrots (it is the only vegetable she will really eat and like). 

So when I saw those handy little bags of miniature carrots in the store, I thought they would work great for lunches.  You don't have to peel them every morning or cut them up and they went straight from refrigerator to lunchbox.  Wonderful!!!  Good food made easy.

THEN I DISCOVERED SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE BABY CARROTS!  Actually I discovered a lot about those little carrots.  For one thing, did you know that they are not picked out of the ground that size?  I did not know that (again, what was I thinking - that there was a "baby carrot" farm somewhere?).  And did you know that they are "treated" as they are manufactured, in order to extend their shelf life in the bag?

Oh, my gosh... is nothing sacred? 

Yes, those baby carrots are "made" from bigger carrots that are rejected for abnormality of size and shape and put in a machine and ground to the perfect size and then treated with chlorine.  Yes, I said CHLORINE!!  Like in bleach...  so they would be "fresh" by the time they got to you. 

Here are some of the rules of food processing:

1. If an ingredients is less that 1% of the total food it does not have to be listed on the label.
2. The FDA has determined that there are levels of chemical additives in individual foods that are not to be exceeded but there has been no proven issue with ingestion of a small amount of these chemicals (like dye, preservatives, chlorine, etc).  What they don't take into account is the cumulative levels of a little bit of those poisons in each of the foods consumed during the day.
3. You can use chemicals in processing and then "rinse" them off and that becomes ok.. and the consumer does not deserve to be informed of it.

So, in fact, bagged baby carrots now make me mad!  As soon as I found that out, I switched us to real carrots.  We now buy organic carrots in their whole real state and I peel and cut them every day for Jouney's lunch.  I make sure and buy the ones in a bunch that still have the greens attached.

Then I did some research about how best to store carrots.  Here is the best way:

• Buy the organic carrots with the greens attached (they are sweeter than the bigger ones in the store).  They usually come in a bunch.
• Take them home and cut the greens off.  (there is some controversy on whether a person can eat those greens in some form - I have not tried to... yet...)
• Lay the individual carrots out on the counter so they dry a bit for a few hours.
• Once they are dried out, they will store in your crisper drawer in a plastic bag for longer than a week - close to 2 weeks.
• If they get damp in refrigerator storage, take them out and let them dry again on the counter so you can return them to the refrigerator.  

So that is my carrot story.  

In the Kitchen - Why I soak my nuts - sprouting

I know I posted something to this effect a few months ago but I think the posts get buried and people still ask me about sprouting.  This was a really foreign concept to me up until a few months ago.  Whole Foods had just opened and I was shopping and doing some investigation throughout the store.

I love the bulk items at Whole Foods.  Many are organic but you have the ability to get the quantity you need or want and I feel like I have a little more control over quantity.  If you have not seen the bulk section, there are dozens of items like nuts, figs, dried fruit, grains, legumes, etc all in marked bins with scoops in them and they are sold by the pound.  So, anyway, I was perusing the bulk items and saw "Sprouted" on the label of some of the bins.  I had never heard of sprouted nuts or grains before but I did notice that they were quite a bit more expensive than the unsprouted ones.  So they must be better, right?  LOL

When I got home I did some research on sprouting and discovered amazing things.  A nut is a seed, right?  And a seed is intended to grow into some green thing, right?  But a dried seed lays dormant for months until the condition is right to sprout.... and then it can turn into an amazing big green plant.  Nuts and seeds contain an enzyme inhibitor called Phytic acid.  This is present to keep the seed from germinating in the wrong conditions.  Phytic acid is inactivated by water (hence a seed needs moisture to grow). 

So here is the problem:  An unsprouted nut contains phytic acid.  Phytic acid is an enzyme inhibitor.  That means it prevents enzymes from doing their work.  Your gut DEPENDS on enzymes to do it's work in digesting your food properly... so the enzymes in your gut are also inhibited when you ingest phytic acid.  Are you with me so far?  Have you heard of the importance of digestive enzymes?  What do you think your pancreas does all day?  Yup.. it makes enzymes for you... and then you go and mess them all up... and inhibit them.

Additionally, many nuts contain tannic acid.  Tannic acid makes things brown.  They use it to "tan hides" of animals.  It is not a very nice substance and when taken in quantity, it can make you sick or at least give you a belly ache.  Have you ever known of someone (or maybe it is you) that gets a "sore mouth" or a "bellyache" from eating nuts?  Thank the tannins.  It is all their fault.  Tannic acid also tastes bitter, which I will address in a minute.

So am I saying that nuts are not good for you?  No.. they contain protein and healthy fats and most people eat a few of them just fine.  But could they be better?  You bet! Could they be healthier?  Could they be turned into a living raw food in it's finest form, ideal for your digestive tract?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Just sprout them.  That is why sprouted nuts are more expensive.. they ARE better.

So how do you sprout your nuts?  In water.  ... it is really this easy.. give it a try... don't be afraid... it takes a little while but you don't have to stand there and watch them sprout.. just set it up and leave it alone.

Start with raw nuts.  I used to buy my raw walnuts from the Whole Foods bins at 9.99 or 12.99 per pound (can't remember which).  Sprouted walnuts ran at least $5.00 per pound more!  Then I discovered the bags of raw nuts in that area and thought "why not?"  A nut is a nut.  The bagged nuts are about $7 or $8 per pound.  Deal!

Now take the nuts and a big jar.  I use a 1/2 gallon mason jar with a lid and a piece of fabric or cheesecloth closed in the lid for straining.

Rinse the nuts a few times in clean clear water.  See the sediment?  Yuck.. I know I used to eat that.   Did I assume that was only nut sediment?  How do I know that it was not dirt?  I don't... but anyway now fill up the jar with water and leave it on the counter to soak for a few hours.

At first the water is clear but in a few hours you will find the water in the jar looking like this:

 Seriously.. see the water in that jar.  That is after a few hours.  That is the tannic acid in the water.  You are soaking the bitterness right out of that nut. No more mouth sores... no more belly ache.  YAY!!  Better tasting nuts.  But you are not done yet.

Rinse with clear water and fill the jar a few more times...  I usually soak my nuts overnight, giving them a few good rinses in the evening and again in the morning.   There is no exact recipe.. don't be afraid of this process.. you can't screw it up.

Watch out what size of jar you use.  The nuts swell with absorption of the water so leave some space in your jar! 

In the morning, strain and rinse your nuts again and leave them on the counter in the jar wet but not soaking in water.  You may rinse them again every 8 hours or so just to keep them freshly wet.

Now day 2 I dehydrate those nuts back to their dry state.  I use a dehydrator but you can use an oven at a very low setting.. under 150 degrees.  Lay the nuts out on a single layer and if you like salt, salt the nuts.  Put them in the oven very low and let the moisture leave the nuts.  When they return to crunchy and not soggy, they are done.  It may take a few hours but you won't burn them in an oven that low.. .. quit worrying!

When they are dry and crunchy and cooled, put them in a container and keep them for a long time.  EAT THEM!!!  You will notice that with the tannins soaked away, they are mild and flavorful.. never bitter.

Be happy that you have awakened that seed to germination state, so it has released all its little phyto-nutrients for your benefit.  (phyto-nutrients is just a fancy was of saying "plant stuff that is really good for you). 

Enjoy!  And also rest assured that you have rinsed off all of that questionable dirty looking stuff that is in the bottom of you bag of nuts.  You will like them so much better... you really will!

In the Kitchen - My new secret weapon - Buttermilk

I don't think I ever felt I had a need for buttermilk.  Just never used it and never even thought about it.  I heard in the distant past that it was good in pancakes so I used to "make my own" by adding some lemon juice to milk.  That worked I guess...

But then I discovered real cultured buttermilk. 

Oh my goodness... so sorry I missed it all these years!  It is now my magic ingredient!  I first used a bit in my buttermilk ranch dressing.  Here is the recipe:  http://www.thenewsuburbanpioneer.blogspot.com/2013/02/in-kitchen-homemade-buttermilk-ranch.html
Then I used some in buttermilk buckwheat waffles for Journey (huge hit!).  Then I added a little bit to my molasses cookie batter and made the best ever molasses cookies with just the right soft consistency and smooth flavor.  They were the best I ever made and it is all thanks to that buttermilk!

Now real cultured buttermilk is my new best friend in the kitchen.  As a cultured product, it has good nutritional value and as a flavor and texture enhancer it can't be beat.  I am still not to the point that I desire to drink it but I know plenty of people who do!  I bought an organic quart of the good quality cultured buttermilk to use and then I discovered that they even sell "fake buttermilk"...  So when you are shopping, make sure and read the label and see that it lists "cultured buttermilk" or "buttermilk culture" on it and in the ingredients.  Otherwise you are getting the fake stuff. 

Then I found out that I never have to buy buttermilk again... but how?  Because when you introduce 1 cup of REAL cultured buttermilk to 3 cups of milk and let it sit on the counter for about 24 hours in a glass jar with a lid, your milk will turn into buttermilk and keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks! 

WOW... now I am in habit of making my own ketchup, bbq sauce, cream of mushroom soup, yogurt, and now BUTTERMILK!  I vow to keep some on hand all the time! 

Making buttermilk is not hard.  In case you need some directions, here they are. 

Pour one cup of cultured buttermilk into a glass jar (I love my canning jars... I have many of them with various concoctions in them)

Pour in 3 cups of milk.

Shake it and let it sit out for about 24 hours.  A warm place is best.  I just leave mine by the stove on the counter. You can tell when it is done because it will kind of coat the inside of your glass jar when you tip it.  It gets thicker than regular milk. Keep it in that same glass jar and keep it in the refrigerator for a few weeks.  

HOW EASY IS THAT?

Just make sure and take the last cup of your buttermilk to add to fresh milk and make some more!  The never-ending supply....   Don't worry if you don't have a full cup at the end.  The important part is the ratio you use... for every 1 part of buttermilk, you add 3 parts of milk. 

Have you heard of Creme Fraiche?  I had not until recently and I think it is some fancy sour cream... lately I see it for sale at Whole Foods...  but wait...  if you use whole milk that is not hemogenized like Picket Fence whole milk, you may get a layer of cream on top in your jar.  This is also cultured now and that is what Creme Fraiche is.... So if you use Creme Fraiche or know how to use it, for one thing, please share, and for another thing, watch for it on top of your homemade buttermilk!

 The things this city girl DID NOT and still DOES NOT KNOW!!!!   It astounds me daily!!  Have fun in the kitchen.  Eat fresh, eat whole foods and stay healthy!

In the Kitchen - 2 Gallons of milk =

I have been planning another pan of lasagna.  This time I found a wonderful recipe for spinach/broccoli lasagna.  It is in the oven now so I sure hope it is good!  It takes me a little while to go from "hungry for lasagna" to "eating lasagna".  With a commitment to making all my food from scratch, I have to plan ahead.  So I started a couple of days ago with 2 gallons of fresh whole Pickett Fence milk.  I can't say enough about the quality of their milk.  It is pasteurized, which is required by Iowa law but not hemogenized.  That means the cream rises to the top and it is absolutely delicious to drink but even better for making cheeses.

Out of the first gallon of milk, I made cottage cheese.  This is really easy to do by adding 3/4 cup white vinegar to heated milk and separating the curds from the whey.  Here is a link to how to do it.  http://www.thenewsuburbanpioneer.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-kitchen-cottage-cheese.html    The cottage cheese curds are fresh and good.  Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use and then mix some whole milk or cream with them right before eating!

Then I used the second gallon of milk to make homemade mozzarella cheese.  This was the second time I made it and it turned out perfect this time!  It doesn't take much, just some rennet, which can be purchased online or at Beer Crazy in Urbandale (they have cheese making supplies in addition to brew-your-own-beer supplies) and some citric acid (also available in the same places).  Here is the link to how to make your own mozzarella cheese.  http://www.thenewsuburbanpioneer.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-kitchen-homemade-mozzarella-cheese.html This cheese was so fresh tasting and perfectly delicious that I had to keep my family out of it so I had enough for the lasagna!  I had to promise to make them some more soon to eat fresh.

Once I had made the mozzarella and the cottage cheese, I had about a gallon and half of whey left over.  Whey is a yellow liquid and full of great nutrition from the milk.  It can be used in place of water in most recipes so I store it in the refrigerator in glass jars until I can use it up.  Never waste!! 

So out of that 1 1/2 gallons of whey, I made Ricotta cheese and BUTTER!!  The butter was a first for me but I was so happy with the results.  To make ricotta, you have to leave the pan of whey out on the counter for 12 - 24 hours to develop sufficient acidity.  While this seemed very foreign and scary to me at first but I am comfortable with it now...  (how do you think they make it when you buy it at the store?- probably some chemical additive instead of leaving it on the counter - yuckier in my opinion)

After leaving the big pan of whey on the counter overnight, I looked inside to discover this nice layer of butter fat floating on top.  With further research, I discovered that it would be great to make butter from.  So I carefully skimmed all the cream fat from the top into my magic bullet cup.  After quite a bit of blending, I noticed it getting solid and found butter when I opened the cup!  Scooping the butter out, a little salt was added for flavor and this is what I ended up with:

When mixing in the salt, I did some pressing and removed a bit more of the whey liquid, adding that to my pot for more ricotta!  This butter is still on my counter and we are enjoying the taste of fresh butter on our toast and muffins! 

So on to make the ricotta for the lasagna.  Ricotta cheese is a bit tricky and my first attempt failed but this time I figured out to strain it through an actual tea towel instead of a cheese cloth and managed to capture all of the ricotta cheese this way.  Here is a link to making your own ricotta cheese:  http://www.thenewsuburbanpioneer.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-kitchen-ricotta-cheese-worked.html

So out of 2 gallons of whole milk (cost $10), I got a 16 ounce container of cottage cheese, a large chunk of mozzarella cheese, a small container of ricotta cheese, and enough butter for a few meals.  I consider that a win-win for our health (as all ingredients are fresh and without additives, and our pocket book!) 

Now even after the ricotta was made, I ended up with about a gallon or more of whey.  It is pure whey now.. clear yellow liquid that I have in the refrigerator.  I used a few tablespoons instead of the water to make the homemade wheat lasagna noodles and today used a few cups instead of water in my homemade garlic bread!  And there is still plenty left!  Maybe a crockpot of soup is in order later this week.  The whey does not add any different flavor when used in place of water in recipes but it does add nutrition!

While this seems a daunting process, it is a little time consuming but most of this can be done with minimal effort while you are doing other things in the kitchen.  Much of the cheese making is resting time so I use that time to make a batch of cookies or another loaf of fresh bread. 

Just final note:  If you are in town and want to try to make some mozzarella of your own, I can give you a little citric acid or rennet from my supply to save you from buying a quantity until you know how easy and delicious it is!  Just send me a message!  Or if you want to come over sometime when I am making something, let me know... I would love to have you and show you how!

In the Kitchen - The Ricotta Failure

Well, there goes the lasagna idea.. a least for right now.  I had a little problem with the ricotta cheese.  I think it actually started with the yogurt I made.  I may have learned a little bit more about this whole milk-processing thing...  I sure hope so ..  I hate kitchen failures.. I feel wasteful.

To make yogurt, you start with milk and heat it to 185 degrees before cooling it to 110 degrees and adding the yogurt starter.  Then keep it warm (on a heating pad) for 7 hours until you get yogurt.  I have done it countless times and it turns out well.  When it becomes yogurt, I strain it through a cheesecloth and separate the whey from it before storing the yogurt (greek style) in the refrigerator.  The whey still has value so I save it in the refrigerator.

I usually use the best milk I can find .. which is from our local dairy, Pickett Fence.  What I love about that milk is that it has been pasteurized but not hemogenized so the cream floats to the surface.  I like the whole milk best because of the richness and fresh taste.  That milk has no added hormones and I trust the source, plus I can buy it at Whole Foods, which is much closer to my home that the Creamery is.  We were at the store a few days ago and they were out of Pickett Fence whole milk.  Being creative, I got the Whole Foods brand of whole milk instead to make my yogurt. 

The yogurt was a pretty dismal failure.  I got just a little tiny bit of yogurt out of a regular sized batch.  I should have known then not to try the ricotta cheese with that whey but I did it with high hopes anyway. 

To make ricotta cheese you are supposed to leave the whey out at room temp for 12 - 24 hours to promote the acidity.  Seemed kind of gross but I guess no one has died from room temperature whey.. so I did it.

Then the instructions said to bring it to 203 degrees over heat, stirring continually.  I did that and as you see, the thermometer was right there to guide me.  It got foamy on the surface just under the boiling point, just like the instructions said it would.

Once the ideal temp was reached, the instructions said to take it off the heat and let it cool to room temp.  This is when the ricotta cheese was to form.  HA!

A few hours later, I looked at the whey ...  I could see that there was some separation of liquid from a milky substance lurking in the bottom of the pan (wish I had gotten a picture for you).  Ricotta is a soft cheese and is supposed to solidify into a curdish substance.  They say sometimes it floats and sometimes it sinks.  Check... mine must have sunk.

Then the instructions say to carefully ladel out the curds if they are on top or pour off the whey if it is on top.  I poured off the whey carefully and slowly, exposing the milky white substance in the bottom of my pan.  Here is what I got:

See that little bit of thick "milk" clogging up my cheesecloth?  Really?  That is not formed enough to be any type of cheese!  It is a ricotta failure... so sad to waste.

I did save the whey that I used to try the ricotta.  It is in the refrigerator and can be used in place of water in recipes for added nutrition.  At least I have that...  but back to the ricotta drawing board and the lasagna I had planned will have to wait until later.  I was looking forward to making homemade noodles next!

So I think the ricotta failure is due to the quality of the milk.  I know that I get great results from the non-hemogenized milk I usually use, so I would have to assume that the extra processing of the store brand milk prevented good curd formation.  I am now SOLD on the Pickett Fence milk!  I will buy no other!  I would love to experiment with raw milk.  Did you know that raw milk is illegal to sell in Iowa?  It is legal in Missouri and many other states but not here.  Living in the center of the state makes me sad for this fact.  I know there is a lot of controversy and fear over raw milk but someday I will try some for my cheeses and yogurts!  I know someone out there has to have a healthy milking cow... so sad to live in the suburbs today.  I want a cow... and maybe some hens to lay eggs... and maybe a goat.. ... ...  someday..  I can dream.

Ode to Thanksgiving Feasting - What's Next?

It has been a busy week!  Thanksgiving dinner at my house was quite a feast.  As usual, I made too much food and it was all made from scratch.  My family joked that I was going to feed them a Tofu turkey because I guess they don't understand what healthy food is.  In my world, eating healthy is eating from the earth and land..  from scratch cooking with all the best ingredients.. and avoiding processed and chemically altered foods.

The turkey was good.  The stuffing was all made with my homemade sprouted and freshly ground wheat bread along with organic celery, onion, butter, and my own homemade chicken stock as opposed to canned broth.  The green bean casserole was made with homemade cream of mushroom soup, fresh frozen green beans, and homemade little french fried onions.  It was good but I did break down and make 1/2 the casserole with additional Velveeta cheese for one of my daughters, who swore I would ruin it if I did not add that cheese.  So I did.  For her.  I just can't bring myself to eat Velveeta Processed Cheese.  I don't think it is really cheese.. it seems more like soft plastic to me, but who am I to ruin Thanksgiving for someone?

The pies were AMAZING!  If you have never had a fresh pumpkin pie made with real cream and fresh baked pumpkin, you don't know what you are missing.  It was so much better than I even expected.  On top was homemade whipped cream from organic cream and vanilla.  And the pecan pie was delicious too.  I am sure the fact that the pecans were sprouted before being placed in the pie was lost on many but I have never had better pecan pie.  Instead of the usual corn syrup, I used pure maple syrup and was amazed at how it came out the same but tasted even richer.

Dinner went without a hitch and I am pretty sure my family enjoyed most of it.  Since then I have been busy trying to catch up and eat up the leftovers.  We had an 18 pound turkey carcass that got boiled down that night and made into about a gallon of now frozen turkey broth...  it smelled like Thanksgiving baking that night all over again.

Today I made a turkey and wild rice casserole that looks pretty darn good.  The bottom layer is cooked rice pilaf and then the layer on top of that has a generous portion of turkey mixed with sauteed green peppers and onions with garlic, parsley, and nutmeg, then creamed into a white sauce consistency through the addition of flour, some of that turkey broth, and some whole milk.  The top layer is a bit of cheese. 

Journey has been hungry for cottage cheese so today I made her some cottage cheese with the left over whipping cream suspending the curds and am now starting a batch of ricotta cheese out of the leftover whey.  I want to use the ricotta in a casserole resembling lasagna with hamburger and spaghetti squash (unless I get ambitious and make homemade lasagna noodles out of the leftover spelt flour). 

I will post about the ricotta cheese after I finish this batch.  You are supposed to leave the whey covered and at room temp for 12 - 24 hours before bringing it back to the heat so tomorrow should be ricotta day.  I will let you know how it goes.

Cheese is one of those things that I miss buying at the grocery store.   It seems so expensive to buy good quality cheeses .. seems even more than some of the meat I buy and it NEVER seems to go on sale..  darn it!  I have ordered some cheese making supplies from New England Cheese Making Supply.  To make cheddar cheese curds you need good quality milk and rennet, citric acid, and mesophilic.  While I don't understand all of these things yet, I have been researching and when my cheese supplies come, I will be experimenting with cheese curds.  To make cheddar cheese like you buy at the store, you would need a cheese press for your curds.  We don't have one of those yet but I have Mike thinking how he might make one simply that would apply up to 40 - 50 pounds of pressure to a cylinder filled with cheese curds.  He likes cheddar as well as I do so we are highly motivated to figure out how to make it around here!

For my family, eating healthy is just what we are committed to doing.  With a little planning ahead, a bit of creativity, and a willingness to research and try things we are managing to figure out how to "homestead" in the suburbs.  But don't get me wrong.. I am SO GRATEFUL for those little things in life that make it easier like my new KitchenAid, the stove, the washing machine, dishwasher, softened and drinking water systems, etc.  I can't imagine life on the prairie where we had to go to the stream to do the washing, and carry enough water back to the little cold log cabin to do what needed to be done for the day.  Or having to keep a fire lit for warmth.  I am partial to my electric blanket at night, thank you!

I will keep sharing the adventures as we have them with you!  My latest venture has been to make rugs on a loom out of old fabric.  They are turning out wonderfully and will be having them for sale soon!  Stay tuned my friends!  There is so much more to come, including sharing all the handmade gifts we are going to produce for Christmas presents this year!

In the Kitchen - When LIfe Gives You.....

I did not plan for this morning to be spent in the kitchen.  I intended on weaving my second rug.  But plans change quickly, don't they?  I have never been one to turn down opportunity when it knocks on my door.  That is just what happened.

This morning after taking Journey to school, I made a quick stop at Fareway for a few things.. just a few.  As I walked past the produce isle, I spied a white paper bag with "99 cents" written on the handle.  That is a sure way to cause me to detour or double-take at least!  In the bag was a whole bunch of pears!  Lots.. I would say at least 3 pounds of them.  They were past their selling prime but just about at their eating prime, I would say.  I like them nice and ripe and juicy.

Not only did I spy this one bag, there were three more of it's little friends.  Total of 4 bags of pears there as if they had my name on them.  I put two in the cart and wrestled with myself about organic versus non-organic, as these were not organic pears, but just conventional.  Then I decided that while we do try to stay as organic as possible, we don't buy organic jams and jellies, nor do we buy organic fruit cups for Journey's home lunches....  so the bags won and soon I found all 4 bags of pears had jumped in my cart.  So what, maybe a total of 12 - 15 pounds of pears?  The activities of my morning had now changed and I found myself home about 8:30 with the loot.

After some quick "googling", I decided to make pear preserves, canned pears, and dehydrated pears out of my 4 bags, so I then got to washing and peeling.

Oh My Goodness.. it felt like hours of peeling pears when I realized I was only 1/2 way through my supply.  I had the canning pot on to boil, had washed 15 canning jars and lids, had a pot for the jam and a pot for the blanching of the pears going.  I literally peeled and cleaned pears until after 10am.

I am really tired of pears.  I have learned a new "diet" trick.  COOK alot.. when I am busy cooking it, I usually don't want to eat it.  Funny how that works, except with cookies.  There is nothing that compares to eating that first warm cookie right out of the oven.  I consider it a responsibility so I always do the first testing before my family tries them.

So the pear production?  Here are some on the dehydrator:

Pears are one of those fruits that suffer from turning brown in the air.  I did soak these in diluted lemon juice but they are still turning... the bananas do the same thing.  Oh well, they still taste good.

I also made my first batch of jam.. just boiled the pears until mushy and added pectin.  (I think I added too much and it will set up like a rock but it tasted good).  I added some stevia and honey to sweeten it and it made 6 little jelly jars full.

Then I left the rest of the pears quartered and boiled them for 2 minutes before canning 7 more pint jars of pears for later.  I think Journey will like these in her lunch instead of store bought when we don't readily have fresh fruit for her.

All in all, the last cans came out of the water bath at about noon, but I think I did really good with a $4.00 purchase... and Mike got fresh jam on homemade wheat bread for lunch today.  Happy Anniversary Honey!!

In the Kitchen - Another Explosion

I don't even like mushrooms.

I made cream of mushroom soup just a few minutes ago and had to cut up 5 cups of mushrooms, another 1/2 cup of onions, add it to 1/8 tsp of thyme, and 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock and boil it for 15 minutes.  Then the recipe called for me to puree it...

There is that word that I have come to hate:  PUREE... for me it just spells trouble.  I put it in the Magic Bullet blender just out of the boiling pot and turned it on.  Immediately I was covered with piping hot mushroom puree, as was the entire corner of the kitchen again.  I feel like my mother when she told me she did not know how she drove her car through her neighbor's garage door last year when I tell you I don't know how that blender exploded.  When I got it turned off, the lid was still on.

Journey says she saw it spew through the pour spout...  I hate mushrooms... and puree!!  I screeched loudly as boiling hot mushrooms stuck to my arms and landed on the front of my shirt!  I still have red marks all over my forearms where I am burned.  But after cleaning up the kitchen, I glowered at that blender, put a cloth over the top and turned it on again.  HA!!  Pureed mushroom and onions!!

Then melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in the pan and whisk in 3 Tablespoons of flour.  Pour in 1 cup of half and half and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Add back in the wicked mushroom/onion puree and cook over medium heat until it thickens, stirring the whole time.

Done.  The kitchen got cleaned, along with the cupboards, my shirt, the surrounding appliances, the floor, the wall, and everything else in the path.  The offensive soup is now in a glass jar in my refrigerator to be added to the green bean casserole on Thursday.

Happy Thanksgiving!!  Tomorrow I am supposed to get my new KitchenAid Stand Mixer and I sure hope I have had my last explosion in the kitchen for a while!!

Time to test the SmartKlean laundry ball again on this t-shirt, although I know it will work.. there is no trace of pumpkin left on the last shirt I exploded on. 

In the Kitchen - Bread Saga Continued

In my pursuit to make a perfect (or even good) homemade whole wheat bread, I have encountered many failures.  Those sit in my freezer right now waiting for Thanksgiving to make into stuffing, so I have not felt entirely defeated as I have high hopes for each subsequent batch of bread.

I shared my honey wheat bread recipe several posts back and continued to work with that recipe, attempting little additions or changes to make it better.  Whole wheat bread seems to have a tendency to get hard and dry.  For people that are used to "Wonder Bread", this whole wheat bread leaves something to be desired.  I have learned a few things in my journey, including things about my own appliances.

A few years ago, we had to replace the lower heating element in our oven.  Other than that, the oven is in fantastic shape so there was no need to waste the money on a new one.  It has worked well ever since except I noticed a tendency to burn things like cookies.  I bought an oven thermometer to compare the "actual" temp to the temp setting I was choosing on the oven and I found that when I set my oven to 350 degrees, it was actually reading 400 degrees on the thermometer inside.  No wonder I was burning stuff!  So clearly, I need to set my oven temp to a lower target and check the internal temp to see what it really is before attempting to bake my bread.

I discovered Wheat Gluten.  Yes, we still eat wheat.  I think if you soak, sprout, and grind your own wheat, there is a good nutritional content to it and it is good for you.  I don't think the flour you buy at the store is very nutritious, as it has been treated to prevent it from going rancid on the shelf and gives many people stomach aches, even if they are not gluten intolerant.  In fact, Celiac disease is not as common as many would think.. more people avoid wheat products and go gluten-free due to their gut reaction to processed flours, not due to an actual gluten intolerance.  I am very supportive of folks that go gluten-free but my family does not need to at this time, as we have fixed the gut issues in the quality of the wheat flour we use.  So why wheat gluten?  Because whole wheat flour does not have a lot of gluten in it and sometimes does not rise as well in yeast breads.  This creates a denser loaf than I like personally so about 1 teaspoon of wheat gluten per cup of flour produces a good rise in my recipes and a softer, airier loaf.

The pan you use can make a difference too!  I only owned glass loaf pans until yesterday when I found some pretty good metal ones at a thrift store for 99 cents each.  I priced the metal ones at Bed, Bath, and Beyond yesterday and they were running 15 - 20 dollars each.  Ouch!!  When baking in a glass pan, it is recommended to lower the temp of the oven by 25 degrees from what the recipe is calling for.  I have practiced this religiously since I have a tendency to burn things but this makes it even more complex for me when already having to adjust for my oven temp issues.. so I am switching to metal pans.

I have also discovered that adding a "dough enhancer" to homemade bread is helpful.  These are ingredients that improve the texture, taste, and crust of the bread.  They include Gluten, acid, starch, and sugar.  We have the gluten as above, the sugars are in the form of honey.  We just need a little more acid and a little more starch.  Yesterday I used a bit of homemade yogurt as a dough enhancer and even though my bread clearly had issues coming out of the oven, it was one of the best tasting breads I have made to date!  There are many items in your kitchen and that you can buy to enhance your dough.  I am going to experiment with yogurt, vinegar, eggs, gluten, and other items.  You can find recipes for dough enhancers on the web that include gelatin, citric acid, powdered milk, ascorbic acid, pectin, ginger, and other ingredients that I don't readily have in my kitchen. 

So yesterday's experiment with bread was a new whole wheat bread recipe.  It had basically the same ingredients as my previous one in the same proportions.  The difference was the addition of a bit of "greek yogurt" as a dough enhancer.  I had some homemade yogurt in the refrigerator so felt lucky!  The baking was a little different in that it asked me to put the loaves in a cold oven and set the temp to 350, calling for a baking time of 32 - 40 minutes.  I followed directions to a "T" and checked the bread at 35 minutes.  Clearly not done.  Did not sound hollow enough when tapped on the top and the crust was not brown enough.  Back in the oven for 10 more minutes....  when removed that time, I checked it with a thermometer for the internal temp, which on wheat bread should be 200 - 210 degrees.  The smaller loaf read the appropriate temp but the bigger loaf did not.  Back in the oven for 10 more minutes with the bigger loaf.  Here is what happened to those loaves.

This is the smaller loaf that showed the correct internal temp.  This was taken about 1/2 hour after removing from oven.  See the dent on top?  That has happened to every loaf that has come out undercooked in the middle.  I fear it might not be done all the way through but the crust was plenty done.  Gave this loaf to Grandpa and Grandma last night.

The bigger loaf was put in longer and when removed I only let it cool for about 20 minutes before trying to remove it from the pan.  Big mistake.... here is the result.  The "muffin top" came off!

You might be able to see that the very middle was still apparently not baked completely through.  There might have been too much rise in it and maybe too airy and light?

Since this last episode I have read that you should not disturb or cut your bread for at least 2 hours after removing it from the oven.  That may have been why my bigger loaf broke and because I did not disturb my littler loaf for about 3 hours, it may be fine when my grandma cuts into it.

But I will tell you this:  That yogurt in there sure made the consistency of this loaf heavenly!  I will use dough enhancers from now on!  And I will not cut my bread or remove it from the pan early.  The quest for the perfect baked loaf of bread in this house continues and I only have one more week to find something valuable to do with the ruined loaves...unless I make Christmas stuffing too! 

If you have any hints for making the perfect loaf of bread, include some comments below.  BTW:  I only used 1/4 cup of yogurt for my 2 loaves of bread, in case you are wanting to use it as a dough enhancer yourself!!

In the Kitchen - Regrow your celery!!!

I just posted about re-growing green onions in your window sill.  It is very easy to do and I am also experimenting with re-growth of celery.

Again, celery is one of the vegetables on the "dirty dozen" list ..  indicating it contains more pesticides and contaminants than many others do.  As a result I am sad when the pre-Thanksgiving Grocery sale ads came out with conventional celery at 69 cents a bunch.  I buy mine organically and have to pay closer to $2.00 a bunch of celery.  Celery is one of those items at my house that I get only when I need it for a recipe and if I don't use it all, we just don't eat enough of it to prevent it from going bad.  It is something that I routinely dehydrate and keep around for cooking but when a salad or cold dish calls for a little fresh celery, I would really like to have it at my fingertips.

So I was thrilled when I read that you could regrow celery.  The instructions I read called for finding a clump (is it called a clump? - do you know what I mean by that?) with some of the roots still intact.  I was so excited to do this that I bought my organic clump of celery at Whole Foods this week and forgot to check for roots... when I got home with it I found that the roots had been cut off the bottom.  I cut off what I needed for the chicken salad and dehydrated the rest of the stalk (the word stalk just came out of my brain and jumped on the "paper" - so a "clump" must be the same as a stalk).

I read that if you keep at least an inch of the bottom of the celery, you can soak it in water and it will re-grow.  So I cut it off and stuck it in a shallow container.

 Now just a few days later, the most amazing thing is happening, even though by bunch of celery does not have visible roots.  There is a little bit of green leafy growth in the middle of it.  Some of the outer stalks have begun to fall off, but there is life in this little celery and I am going to make sure it grows!!  Take a close look at this picture:

Can you see some leafy growth in the very center? 

For celery, you are to let it take on some growth of a few inches and then re-plant it in some potting soil.  I will be watching for roots to appear and then looking for the right time to put it in a pot. 

I would be excited to have some fresh celery at my disposal through the winter months!!  Try your own at home this Thanksgiving when you are buying a big bunch of it for your stuffing or your veggie trays. 

In the Kitchen - ReGrow Green Onions

This is the MOST amazing thing ever... it ranks up there with the ability to create great quality vanilla yourself!! 

How many times have you wished to have green onions for a recipe or a salad and found you did not have any.  I don't routinely keep them around because I find they do not stay very fresh in my refrigerator so I buy them only when  have an immediate need and then have to pay more for them to be organic.  Such is the case with so much that I am studying and learning to make things myself that are good for us and will save us money and reduce our exposure to processed foods.  So now I found out you can re-grow green onions!!

I made some delicious chicken salad this week as a result of gathering enough chicken stock/broth to get us through the thanksgiving dinner.  (I will make turkey stock after that dinner as well to replenish the stock in my freezer).  So while making the chicken salad, it called for 2 stalks of green onion.

I bought a small bunch at Whole Foods that was organic and used some in the chicken salad and dehydrated the rest, EXCEPT for the ends with the roots.

I put the ends in a small glass of purified water and placed it in my sunny kitchen window.  They looked a little puny Monday afternoon when I first put them in the water but I heard they would regrow and wanted to check that out.

I don't know how well you can see but they are all cut off evenly and submerged in the water.

Now here is the amazing part.  After just a few days they look like this:

I took a close up picture this time because there has been some definite growth there!!  In just a few days I am convinced that I will have a new stock of fresh organic green onions in a couple of weeks. 

The way I understand this is that you can continue to cut them off and use them and they will regrow!!  I am so excited!!  You can wait until they are a bit bigger and plant them in dirt if you want to and they will still regrow you more onions every time you cut them off.   Now I will have fresh onions all the time! 

Are you going to try this in your sunny window?  If you do, just be sure to spring for organic green onions the first time and you will re-grow organic green onions!!  

In the Kitchen - Preparing for Thanksgiving

I am hosting Thanksgiving this year for my family.  I have done it countless times before...  it never bothers me to prepare a mass quantity of wonderful food to eat, or clean the house before hand, or entertain everyone, but this year is different.  Since my husband and I have adopted a completely different eating style from the rest of my family, I sense a dilemma on the horizon.  Many of my family say "don't make any of that healthy crap"... oh my goodness... I cannot prepare our favorite pies with corn syrup, I just can't.  I can't use cans of Campbells soup in the green bean casserole, nor can I serve traditional pie crust made with Crisco.  These are just some ingredients I will not be cooking with this year.

Now how do I cook the same traditional foods but in a healthier manner?  Very carefully.  Here is our traditional Thanksgiving meal, as handed down through the generations.  We always eat the same foods.  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet candied potatoes, green bean casserole, jello salad, breads, gravy, pumpkin pie & pecan pie.  But, of course, in the spirit of our societal need to overeat at holiday times, there is always a few more dishes on the table as the whim dictates. 

I have tried to vary from this "prescribed feast" in the years past, only to get complaints about taking away tradition.  That was back when I cooked in the traditional manner with processed foods but just tried to substitute something like pumpkin cheesecake for pumpkin pie.  Now I do want you to know that overall my family is polite about it.. my adult children complain out loud but the rest of them just show their dislike by picking at non-traditional foods.  I can tell though. 

After much much thought about the menu this Thanksgiving, I am pretty sure what I will be doing to maintain tradition for my family while keeping with my values for healthier food choices.  Here are the plans.

Turkey - EASY - put a quality turkey in the roaster oven... that won't change, except maybe the quality of the turkey.  I always baste  mine with butter and I will still do that, except we have moved to butter without added hormone or organic butter. 

Stuffing - This will be a bit trickier because I only use wheat bread now and they may taste that unless I use lots of fresh herbs and good chicken broth.  They will get stuffing made from all my "reject" loaves of wheat bread from the last 8 weeks.  Every loaf that did not turn out right was placed in the deep freeze so that I could cube it and make it into stuffing.  I think that will work.  The herbs will be fresh and dried, depending on what is available from the windowsill garden, and the celery and onion will be organic.  The chicken broth will be homemade.  I bought a whole chicken and put it in the crockpot overnight last night in a bath of whey.  Once it was done this morning, I strained all solids from it, cooled it, removed the top layer of fat and put the rest of the resultant broth in the freezer.  I used a big gallon sized ziplock freezer bag because I know I will need a lot next week for the gravy, potatoes, and stuffing!  It looks pretty good and will be of much higher quality and tastier than store bought processed broth in a can.  I am kind of proud of it! 

For the gravy, it will be traditional except for substituting sprouted freshly ground whole wheat flour for their pasty white processed bleached flour.   I don't think they will mind that.

Rolls and bread?  I am hoping to be inspired with a really good quick bread recipe, maybe banana bread or re-trying the pumpkin banana bread recipe that went bad on me a couple of weeks ago.   Plus I will try to create some wheat rolls with my trusty wheat bread recipe.  Those should be good enough.

Green bean casserole... usually it is several cans of green beans mixed with cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese and those little cans of french onions.  I have some fresh frozen green beans..  I can substitute a cup of sour cream for the mushroom soup with a little extra seasoning, and I can buy a good quality cheese to put in it.... but WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT THOSE LITTLE FRIED ONIONS?  I have not begun to think about that yet so maybe I should do a quick google search and try to make my own.  (what a nightmare... I will let you know how that turns out ... I am sure it will be akin to producing my own Cheetos).  Nevertheless, I am sure I will "ruin" the green bean casserole for all of them.  One year I used fresh green beans and they hated it.... they would rather have had the canned mushy ones.  (shaking my head)

Sweet potatoes?  Our family makes them with corn syrup, butter, and brown sugar.  I think I can recreate this a bit with brown rice syrup, organic raw sugar, and of course the butter.  They have to get gooey, soft and sweet for my family.

Pies?  I shared a source for a pie recipe a few days ago.  I will be trying the Pecan Pie recipe that I found without corn syrup and I purchased the pecans today so I have enough time to sprout and dehydrate them before next week.  The crust will be made with fresh ground sprouted Spelt and Palm Shortening.  This should produce a light colored crust for them that is tasty and flaky.   The pumpkin pie will be made with pumpkin that I baked and froze a few weeks ago..  you remember, the one that exploded in my kitchen?  I will have to remember to drain the extra liquid from that pumpkin puree once it is thawed or I will have pumpkin soup in a crust.  And the whipped cream?  Fresh... whipped with my new KitchenAid from heavy cream and vanilla right before serving the pie!!

I think we will have a bit of fresh fruit salad instead of jello and may still have my sis bring some jello salad with her so that others can enjoy it.

Needless to say, I am a little anxious about this meal.  I have not perfected cooking yet with all these new techniques and ingredients so I will have to say a prayer and be thoroughly prepared as the time comes closer and closer.  I will keep you posted on the outcome and in the planning process.  If you have any pointers for me, feel free to pass them on.  I will need all the help I can get. 

What changes are you making this holiday season in order to eat healthier??  And is your family embracing them or fighting you tooth and nail?

In the Kitchen - What happened to my bread?

I found the MOST delicious recipe for pumpkin bread.  All the ingredients were wholesome and I could practically smell and taste it as I read the recipe.  I had just gotten done baking and pureeing a pretty good size pumpkin that I happened to get free at HyVee.  I was just in the store checking out with my $6.00 worth of cinnamon and bananas on sale when the over the intercom I heard "Halloween is over and these pumpkins have to go.. get your free pumpkin outside the main entrance".  I rushed out for some free pumpkin and that started this whole drama in motion.

No, I did not explode the food processor again.  It worked to puree the cooked pumpkin and I got this great notion to be hungry for pumpkin bread so I went recipe shopping.  I found this wonderful recipe I was telling you about for pumpkin bread and went to town putting it together. 

Here is the recipe for you to try... it includes bananas, pumpkin and wonderful spices.. even walnuts.

Banana Pumpkin Bread

"With lots of cinnamon and pie spices, this recipe will give you a sensational pumpkin bread with banana added for richness and even deeper flavor."

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas, mashed 2 eggs 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin puree 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup white sugar 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 cup raisins (optional) 1/2 cup walnut pieces (optional)

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2.	In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, eggs, oil, pumpkin, honey and sugar. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pie spice and cinnamon, stir into the banana mixture until just combined. Fold in the raisins and walnuts if desired. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now doesn't that look yummy?  I was so excited and hungry for this bread when I mixed the batter in a big bowl.  It didn't even look hard.. not very many instructions and ingredients I had readily available. 

As you know I am a bit opinionated about ingredients and can get a little creative but I measured everything out as the recipe called for EXCEPT:

• it called for 2 bananas... I had three frozen ones that I thawed out, drained the juiciness and used.
• it called for all purpose flour but I used my freshly ground whole wheat flour and some acorn flour... (in hindsight, I am not sure how much of the 2 1/2 cups of flour came from acorns and how much came from wheat)
• I used turbinado sugar instead of regular sugar
• I used grapeseed oil instead of vegetable oil.

 It looked good in the baking pan ready for the oven.  I did not see a thing wrong with it.. so I began baking it at 35 (pre-heated) and set the timer for 45 minutes.

When the timer went off I used the "toothpick" test to determine that it was not even close to done.  Since I secretly think my oven is possessed by a poltergeist that messes with the temperatures, I am no stranger to undercooked or burned food...  I adapt.  So I quickly popped the bread back in the oven for 10 minutes longer and then checked it.. then 10 minutes more.. and checked.. and 10 minutes more and checked. 

Each time that toothpick went in, it came out gooey.  Has this kind of stuff ever happened to you?  But the crust of the bread was plenty cooked and getting too brown so after a total of 75 minutes in the oven I called "uncle" and removed it to set on top of the stove and cool.... getting hungrier for it by the minute.

At the end of about 10 minutes of cooling, I found the bread in the pan all sunken in the middle.. I cut off the end piece and even close to the end of the loaf, the inside was gooey (I ate that end piece anyway but clearly it was not "done")...  so in desperation to save the loaf, I removed it from the pan and wrapped it in tin foil x 2 layers and popped it BACK IN THE OVEN.  Another 45 minutes to an hour went by before I finally went in and rescued that bread.

WOULD YOU BELIEVE that when I carefully unwrapped that loaf of bread, it just "melted" down like a rotten pumpkin on the top of the foil?  It looked like it was disintegrating, totally lost all shape and the top even was splitting and caving...  but the inside was STILL GOOEY!

You can't guess what we did next... No, I did not take a picture for you but I should have.. it was the craziest loaf of bread I have ever baked.  But we didn't let the ugliness bother us.  We dished that Pumpkin Banana Bread Pudding up in bowls, topped it with a little cinnamon ice cream and ate it.  I was right.. it tasted delicious!!

It is in the refrigerator now in a lidded glass bowl.  I intend to eat pumpkin bread pudding until that darn stuff is gone and then try again but I am still pretty perplexed at what happened to my bread.  Do you have any idea? 

I LOVE to try new recipes and cook.  I would bet you love to create in the kitchen too, if you have what you need to do it.  One of my biggest pet peeves is finding some recipe that sounds really good, but missing one or two ingredients for it.  I hate that.  It almost happened to me today but fortunately, since I have been stocking my pantry with staples instead of processed foods, I usually have most of what I need.

Take today for instance.  When looking for a recipe for my chicken breasts I knew I had cream cheese to use up.  My other pet peeve is wasting food.. so when I search for a recipe I sometimes put in a couple ingredients to search by... today was chicken and cream cheese.  Then I stumbled upon a wonderful recipe for stuffed chicken breasts... yummy!  The only problem was that it called for chopped green peppers and 4 green onions...  ok, really???  HATE that!  Then I would have had to either run to the store before cooking OR lose the spontaneity of a sudden urge for cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts and PLAN them for next week.

Chances are, even then, if I planned some recipe for next week that called for 4 green onions, I would have had to buy a whole bunch and some of them then would have gone to waste in my refrigerator later.

TO THE RESCUE!!  Dehydrated chopped green onions.  I bought some a while back and used a few fresh and then dehydrated the remainder of them for just such an occasion!  And as for the green peppers?  I have several from the garden frozen in the refrigerator for just this reason.

Dehydrated food is easy to store... it even looks cool on the counter top, lasts virtually forever, and is easy to re-hydrate in order to use it for cooking.  I just put a few in a little prep bowl and added some of my purified water to soak them until time to use them in the cream cheese stuffing.

I happened to have some bacon in the freezer and my frozen peppers and was able to make this delicious chicken on the fly!  LOVE MY DEHYDRATOR!!

I bet you are thinking about this chicken now, aren't you?  Would you like the recipe?  It was seriously about the best thing I have made lately!  You will love it.  OK, here is the recipe.

Stuffed and Wrapped Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon 6 ounces cream cheese, softened 4 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.
2.	Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until the grease has mostly rendered, but the bacon is still very soft, about 3 minutes. Remove, and pat dry with paper towels; set aside.
3.	Stir together the cream cheese, green onions, bell pepper, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl until combined. Divide this mixture onto each chicken breast. Fold the breasts in half, and wrap with 2 slices of bacon. Secure with toothpicks as needed. Place into the prepared baking dish.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the thickest part, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the toothpicks before serving.

And before you start thinking, "I thought bacon was unhealthy"....  we buy uncured nitrite and nitrate free bacon and don't eat too much of it!

You should try it too!  Bacon is wonderful but not near to the extent that you need it in large quantities every day. 

In the Kitchen - The Great Pumpkin Explosion

Pumpkins went on sale this week at our local Earl May...  $1.99 each for any size and any type.  Journey was able to get 4 to carve this weekend at that price, and one is really big!!  I thought it was a pretty good deal and you know how much I like to save money and get a good deal.

I never knew there was a difference between a "baking pumpkin" and a "carving pumpkin" but the gal at Earl May says there is a difference.  So when Journey got 4 "carvers", I got one "baker" for me.  I have never made my own pumpkin puree so I was excited to get home and research how to do it today.  It seemed pretty easy and with some frozen pumpkin puree, I could make more baked pumpkin donuts and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving without having to buy canned pumpkin.  The instructions seemed pretty easy:

Cut the pumpkin in half (you could also bake it whole but I wanted to preserve the seeds without cooking them so I had to cut mine first).  Of course I removed the seeds and guts.  Oil the edges of the cut pumpkin and place it cut side down in a baking pan.  Bake for at least 90 minutes at 350 degrees.  I added water to the bottom of the baking pan to add a steam effect to the cooking.

Mine was in the oven for 2 hours and probably not quite as done as it could have been but it looked like it was soft enough.

Let the pumpkins cool in order to be able to remove the skin.  I used a knife to cut the skin off, preserving as much flesh as I could.  I added the skin to the compost pile... never waste anything.  Journey will be disappointed after school when she finds out that I could not remove the skin in one piece and save it for her.  She wanted to make a "hat" out of the skin.   :)

Once the skin was removed, the next step seemed like a "no-brainer".  Puree the cooked pumpkin in the food processor.  This was only the second time I used my "new" 1960s $5 garage sale GE Food Processor.  I purchased it only because I thought there may come a time when it was clearly the best tool for some particular job.  This seemed like the perfect job, so with pride, I stuffed about 1/2 the pumpkin into the processor in big chunks and turned it on.
.
The poor old processor sounded like an airplane in my kitchen.  So loud but seemed to be working... well not well enough...  maybe I had too much in the processor or maybe the pumpkin could have been a little mushier.. or maybe the darn food processor was just old and tired.  I don't know.  What I did next, I even knew NOT TO DO!  I put a scraper down into the little chute and carefully tried to push the pumpkin pieces down to the reach the blades.

You know what happened next, don't you?  I was not prepared for this so I let out some choice little words when a LARGE GRINDING SOUND erupted in front of me, the blades stopped suddenly, the processor bowl lid flew off, and partial pumpkin puree EXPLODED ALL OVER me and the kitchen.  It was in my hair, on my shirt, on my new slipper, all over the floor, the refrigerator, walls, under the cupboards, and half way to the dining room.  The scraper was wedged in the blades.  I DID have the mind to quickly unplug the machine (but that was a little late..the machine was totally ground to a halt by then).  I could only laugh.. should have taken a picture but I quickly got into cleaning mode and wiped everything down.  Here is the only true damage:

I am not willing to look and see if that is one of my Pampered Chef scrapers or one of the Salvation Army 99cent scrapers.  It is now in the trash, where it will stay.

After all the cleaning was done, I went back to processing.. more patiently and without shoving anything in the top of the food processor.  I ended up with 2 bags of pumpkin puree to freeze for later and pretty darn happy about it.  Need to update my whiteboard now with new inventory.

You know, I was pretty worried about buying a food processor for just this reason.  I just knew I would do something like that and prefer the old fashioned knife and cutting board approach to chopping, slicing, etc.  It is the "puree" issue that I need a darn high powered machine to do.  Hopefully lesson learned.. at least I still have all 10 fingers so I can keep blogging..  ..  ttyl!